Projectile



March' 17. 19255. 1,529,664

E. C. MORIARTY PROJECTILE Filed April 9. 1924 gru/vento@ Patented Maia l?, i925.

narran stares ERNEST C. MORIARTY, F WASHTNGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

PROJECTILE.

Application filed April 9, 1924. Serial No. 705,374.

To all whom t 'may concern.'

Be it known that I, ERNEST C. Moiniin'rr, a citizen of the United States, residingat Washington, District of Columbia, have invented new and useful Tmproveinents in Projectiles, of which the following is a specilication.

This invention relates to projectiles and more particularly to relatively large armor piercing navy projectiles especially adapted for use in high angle fire. I

As is well known to those familiar with ,the art, navy projectiles of the larger caliber are usually lired at long range and high angle of elevation and when they strike the target such as a relatively thick armor plate there is probably a large oblique angle between the trajectory of the projectile and the armor plate causing the projectile to turn on its axis at the moment of impact. Such turning movement causes the rear end of the projectile to be subjected to a heavy side blow frequently tearing eff the rear end or heel of the base. If this tearing action extends into the cavity of the projectile containing the explosive charge then the explosion does not have an equal efficiency.

It is, therefore, one of the objects of the present invention to construct an armo-r piercing projectile of the above character adapted to avoid this primary objection whereby a fracture takes place at. the base. Tt will occur alone' certain preneterinine'd lines thereby maintaininglthe walls of the cavity substantially intact so far as the effectiveness of the subsequent explosion is concerned.

A further object is to provide a projectile of the above character which may be relatively inexpensively manufactured and assembled.

Other objects will be in part obvious to those skilled in this art and in part herein after pointed out in connection with the accompanying sheet of drawings illustrating` one of the various possible embodiments of the invention.

This drawingillustrates a portion of the rear end of an armor piercing projectile.

Referring now to this drawing in detail, l indicates the rear wall portion of the projectile which terminates at the forward or right hand end as viewed in the usual ogival point and 2 denotes the cavitjv adapted to be filled with high explosive. This cavity is closed by a base plug 3 and the outer Wall of theprojectile is providedl with a. rotating band el. These parts being all of standard construction it is believed to be unnecessary to go into the same more in detail.

The invention as herein disclosed consists in the provision of a cut in the base of the projectile which is carried forward to a point corresponding to approximately the center of the rotating band although it may extend incre or less if desired. This is preferably iilled with a relatively soft metal such as leador copper although it is conceivable that other materials might be used suoli as cement. J ust forward of the filling 5 is a circumferential, shallow, narrow cut 6 and a second under-cut portion Z is preferably located above the filler and near the rear of the rotating band 4. The filling is also held in place by a rotatable threaded band 8. These cuts or weakened portions tend to indicate the weakened line along which fracture will take olace as the projectile passes through the armor at an angle. The cuts being small will not in any way interfere with or lessen the transmission of thetorque exerted on the rotating band to the projectile body. In operation when the projectile is fired and strikes the armor plate at an angle there will'be a force exerted upon the rotating band inward and towards the rear of the projectile. The inward component tends to compress the filler and the rearward component will come directly on the weakened section at the rotating rear of the lband groove. The force corresponding to the pressure of the filler will be added to the direct force due to the rear component of the blow on the band et with the result that theheel of the projectile will be broken thereby releasing the ring and rotating band without in any way materially weakening the walls of the explosive cavity 2. As soon as the heel is oroken away the inward component of the blow on the band will compress the unsupported iiller with the result that the projectile will break between the end of the out 7 in the base and the forward cut 6 in the band score. Lead is preferably used because it is easil i compressed and it will be seen that the force which tends to break olf the heel is almost independent of the `direction of the blow on the band as the lead acts similar to a fluid which transmits its pressure in all directions.

it is thus seen that the present invention comprises a simple, practical, reliable and efficient means for avoiding the objection heretofore experienced with armor piercing projectiles striking the target at a relativelyy The heel of theprojectile is,

scribed having a high explosive chamber anda base plug, the rear of said projectile being provided with an annular groove extending forwardly beneath the rotating band and provided with a filler whereby when the projectile strikes a target at an i cwi iiiii a..

oblique angle subjecting the rear of the projectile to a side blow the heelV will yield without materially affecting the walls of the explosive chamber.

y2. In a projectile of the character described having an explosive chamber andl a base plug, the wall of said projectile being provided at its rear with an annular concentric groove, a filler in said groove, means for holding said filler in place,` said filler grooveextending forwardly beneath the rotating band of the projectile whereby when the projectile strikes at an oblique angle to' subject the rear thereof to a yside blow,

vthev heel 0f the projectile will yield along said groove and closing means.l y

3. In a Vprojectile of thel character described having an explosive cavity, a base plug and a rotating band, a concentrically disposed annular groove in the base extending forwardly beneath the rotating band, a metallic filler for said groove and a threaded ring for holding vsaid filler in place whereby the heel of said .projectile will yield when the projectile strikes a target at an angle sufficient to subject lthe heel to a side blow for the purpose of avoiding a material weakening of the walls of the explosive chamber.

i 4. In a projectileV of the character de- -scribed having an explosive cavity, a. base plug and a rot-ating band, a concentrically disposed annular groove in the base extending forwardly beneath the rotating band, a

`metallic filler for said groove,` a threaded ring for holding said filler in placey wherethe heel of said projectile will be turned away when the projectile strikes atargei; at an angle sufficient to subject the heel to a side blow for the purpose of avoiding a material weakening of the walls of the explosive chamber, the heel of said projectile being provided withv a weakening Vgroove adjacent the filler `groove thereby to direct the Y fracture along certain predetermined lines.

scribed having an explosive cavity, a base plug and a rotating band, a concentrically disposed annular groove in the base extending forwardly beneath the rotating band, a metallic filler for said groove, a threaded ring for holding said filler in place whereby the heel of said projectileL will be turned away when the projectile strikes a target at an anglel sufficient to subject the heel to a side blow for the purpose of avoidingl a material weakening of the walls of the eX-f plosive chamber, the heel of said-projectile being provided with a weakening groove adjacent the filler groove thereby to direct the fracture along certain predetermined lines, said grooves extending upwardly from the rear of the filler cavity.

6. In a projectile of the character described having anv explosive chamber, a rotating band Aand a base plug, a cavity con- 'centricallydisposed with respect to the base plug and extending. under the rotating band,

a threaded ring adaptedvto be Yscrewed into the base of theV projectile to close Ythe cavity, a metal ller for said cavityv and weakening Vgrooves adapted to direct the line of ,fracture when the heel of the projectile is subjected to a side blow, one of said grooves extending upwardly from the rear of the cavity and the other of said grooves 1exteiding downwardly from the rotating 7. An armor piercing projectile having plug and a driving band groove, wherein the base end portion of the projectile providedV with a deepY annular groove concentric kwith outer surface of said groove being of cylindrical shape and the inner` surface of conicalv shape.

8. An armor piercing projectile having the axis of the projectile, theV 5. Inl arprojectile ofthe character dean internal cavity forl explosive, a base 

